Mowgli 2018 - my own verison
by BlueWolf5201
Summary: I've just watched the new Jungle Book movie, Mowgli. I really enjoyed watching the film, it was a good movie. On the other-hand, I thought it didn't had much details from the original book written by Rudyard Kipling. I must assure you readers that they will be SPOILERS! So, watched the film first then read my version of the story.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**Hey guys, welcome to read my own version of Mowgli 2018. Now, I'm not saying that Andy Serkis's version on the dark version of the Jungle Book, I actually really enjoyed it. I loved the story within it. I just thought there wasn't much details from the original book version. So, I thought of writing my own version of what 'Mowgli' could have been. Please comment on what you think.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

The enteral jungle living day by day as the seasons come in and out each few mouths. The leaves change from green to brown then brown to green. The changing shape of the white moon above in the dark sky. But, every day as time passes through, all the green plants keep on growing.

 _I am the eyesss of the jungle_

 _I have ssseen the past life through the jungle_

There were old temples crumbled and cracked of old age, the ancient walls were covered with dust but mostly green veins and flowers. Never have there any temple created in the heart of the jungle, until a new species arrived.

 _I sssaw darknesss and chosss ssspread acrosss our landsss_

 _Along, I witnessssed the coming of… man_

There one day, where the silent jungle was still at its peace there was instead screaming of terror and death. Man ran fast through bushes and branches of the jungle, panicking away from their close deaths, though some already meet their death sentence. Mainly the older ones who cannot run as fast as the others. One woman fell on her hands and knees, she had no screams to echo through eth jungle but tears for her blessed baby she held tight to her chest. There wasn't just screams that echoed, but loud roars of hunger racing closer. She rushed over to the side of a tree where a fallen, huge, old branch lays next to the tree. As the roars were coming closer, the women carefully placed her baby inside the hole of the branch praying for her child to silent, so death will not come to him yet.

The woman run off away through the bushes, until something jumped out and shocked the poor woman as she fell backwards into the bushes. A bright creature with a dark heart growled with blood dripping from its sharp, white teeth and sliding down on its white, fury chin. Its eyes were yellow as a pale sun seeing through the soul of darkness and vengeance. The tiger eyed at the fallen woman as its next target. Crawling towards her, teasing her, torturing her as she feels her life slowly slipping away. Until at the last second, the tiger leaped out and roared at the woman as she screamed her last breathe.

 _I have ssseen many deathsss of man_

 _Killed at the clawsssof a man-eating tiger_

 _Breaking one of our ancient lawsss_

After, a white-greyish wolf was nearby on her hunt for her cubs and has heard the screams of man. Knowing man are dangerous by their weapons, but the mother wolf curiously wondered down to know what caused the screams. Arriving, she first found parts of what man uses upon themselves, and along dead man laying to rot in the bushes with the dirty fly savaging around the huge wounds on their bodies. She sniffed and scan around until her eyes caught a footprint bigger than her own and one of them looks like it was dragging.

Suddenly, a cry echoed to her ears, her claws were out and her ears to prick up the sounding again. The small cry continued so the mother wolf followed, she crawled slowly and quietly towards where the crying was coming from. Until she reached to the side of a tree and walked along the side of the fallen branch. There, the baby crawled out of the hole and the eyes of the mother wolf were widen with shock. The mother wolf jumped with its two front paws on the side of the branch and looked and sniffed around the little baby as it was covered with red blood around the front side of its body.

"A man-cub?" the mother wolf gently whispered as she bends her head to look at the baby in different view.

The mother wolf growled at when the little man-cub began to reach out to torch the edge of the mother wolf's noise, only knowing of man could be dangerous than a cobra's poisonous attack. However, the mother wolf stopped moving away from the little man-cub and slowly lean in closer for its tiny fingers to her. The mother wolf smiled and laughed at this small, unusual creature. The man-cub even poke the pointy edge of a leave in one of her paws, while he began eating the end part.

Suddenly, a crumbly roar echoed through the jungle showing with hunger and horror. Mother wolf turned to face where the roaring was coming from and recognised who it belonged to. "Shere Khan" she whispered to herself, knowing the tiger will come to this part of the jungle for a new hunting ground and to have a taste a man's blood. She turned back to face the little man cub only seeing the innocence in the cub's eyes knowing the man-cub will alone without any protection. The mother wolf didn't want to leave it, she just couldn't. Carefully pacing her teeth to claw on the small clothing hanging around its tiny waist, mother wolf carried along the little man cub while walking fast to Council Rock, where the wolf pack lives.

Quiet and peaceful, a small but deep cave on the edge of a tall, rocky cliff, mother wolf arrived and carefully placed the little man cub on the outside near the small entrance of the cave. The little man cub giggled when mother wolf dropped him down and mother wolf smiled.

"Raksha?" another wolf appeared walking outside form the cave, Rama the father walked out of his cave.

Rama looked suspicious at Raksha wondering where his mate has gone and what happened, until he spotted the little man-cub sitting besides her paws. His eyes were widened as Rama crawled closer to the small creature. Then, one of the wolf cubs jumped out of the cave as he noticed the man cub and he noticed the wolf cub.

"Is that a man-cub?" Rama asked, "I have never seen one before."

Vihaan watched as the little cub was just looking cluelessly, "It looks so…"

"Furless" Raksha finished to what she thought in her mind.

"I was going to say small, but that could do" Rama replied.

The small man-cub turned around and began reaching out for Raksha's paws to hug around, Raksha laughed, "Look at him, he shows no fear of us."

"How did it get here?" Vihaan asked.

"I brought him here" Raksha paused shortly before answering, knowing how shot Vihaan will react when he heard her. Her voice was brave, "It was alone, and Shere Khan…"

Shocked but understood, Vihaan sniffed around the cub closely and caught the scent of the most darkest creature they know. He moved away and showed compassion in his eyes. "Is it hurt?" he asked.

Either of them knew the answer. Raksha lowed her head and licked off the dark red blood covering the front side of eth man-cub. Ignoring the taste of man's blood sliming on her tongue. After, they both saw no wound, no cuts, no scars marked on the skin of the cub.

"What shall we do?" Rama asked, and either of them know nothing to answer, Raksha however knew a solution to risk a life for a life.

Suddenly, a trembling step rushing down through the green bushes of the jungle. Claws strike out from their paws in case of an unexpected attack. But all jumped out was Tabaqui, a golden fury jacket with tiny, scavenging flies flying around his blood, as the marks of blood on its shiny, gold fur intoxicated their senses. Tabaqui unknowingly laughs with his white and red saliva slimming down on his chin and on his teeth.

"Evening Raksha" Tabaqui giggly said, "Rama"

Raksha and Rama however had no pleasure for seeing the jacket coming to their cave. The little wolf cubs hidden themselves in their caves away from the jacket, however one who spotted and stayed by the man-cub. Raksha tried to hide the sight of the man-cub behind her.

"What is it you want, Tabaqi?" Rama asked with a powerful tone of his voice.

"I caught a scent" Tabaqui licked his lips, "What is it? A flesh of a dull?"

"If it is bones or scraps, you are after?" Raksha said angrily, "Go and look around somewhere else."

Tabaqui was about to leave until he remembered something to warn the wolf family, "Oh and, Shere Khan has shifted his hunting grounds to this part of the jungle."

"What!" Raksha's and Ruma's voice raised in anger, Ruma shouted, "He will scare away our hunt, and will bring more man to the jungle!"

"I mean no harm" Tabaqui lowed his head down while gazing up at the angry, adult wolves.

Abruptly, a small giggling sound appeared behind Raksha were Tabaqui's eyes got the sight of a man-cub. The jacket started slowly jumping thrillingly until the same loud roar filled with hunger and power echoed eerily through the jungle.

"You best be off then. Your master calls" Raksha steps forward towards the shaky jacket with a brave voice and her vicious, brown eyes, "And he sounds ill-tempered."

"I bet he is. I bet he is" Tabaqui answered back, then his eyes wondered over to the small man-cub, "For a good reason."

Rama notice Tabaqui's gazes deviously at the little man-cub. His rage and compassion moved his paws over the man-cub and growled spitefully at the jacket. The thrilling feeling in the jacket's skinny body made his jumpy legs rush off while yelling repeatedly, "I have found the man-cub!"

Unaware to Raksha and Rama as they both stare anxiously at each other, the little man-cub followed the wolf cub until he fully crawled his way in the cave. The other three wolf cubs who hide themselves form the usual creature bravely crawled out from the shadowy corners. Sniffing and scanning around the man-cub as he tried to take small steps forward by his tiny feet, until the man-cub fallen slowly to his knees and began crawling on all fours. Raksha and Rama walked back inside the cave and watched as their cubs began playing with the man-cub; jumping and rolling. Raksha smiled gladly of taking the man-cub to her home, seeing how they are both happy.

Until, the sun sets' light which brightens the cave with was suddenly drawn away slowly by the dark shadows. Even without eyes at the back of her head, she felt a dark present. Shere Khan crawled closer towards the mouth of the cave. As this dark creature eyed carefully at the small man-cub as it's prey. Raksha leaped in and pushed the man-cub back away before the tiger's huge paw lunged out through the entrance and its claws swing out and landed exactly where the man-cub should have been. Shere Khan roar furiously with the same paw swing out as the mouth of eth cave was too narrow for the tiger to slide inside the cave fully, only seeing his raging face and his paw. Raksha stood over her cubs and the man-cub with Rama by her side growling while showing their sharp fangs and teeth.

"The man-cub! It's mine!" Shere Khan roared.

"What law states that the cub belongs to you!" Rama replied, "Not to you who break the laws of the jungle!"

"Its mother died. He has no one to will care for it. It is my right" Shere Khan creepily smiled, "Unless, you would want I, Shere Khan to taste the one of your own cubs."

The tiger laughed for the cubs moved back away hiding deeper underneath it's mother. Raksha growled in boiling rage and lunged out with red eyes like the red flower.

"Or I, Raksha, the Demon, who could taste your blood from a scar across your eyes" Shere Khan growled from her threat, even to Rama and Tabaqui were shocked to her bravery response, "The man-cub is mine, Lungri-mine to me! You shall not taste his blood. For he shall live to run with the Pack and to hunt with the Pack!"

"No creature like you, Lungri!" Raksha pointed at his crimple paw Shere Khan swing out to try to grab the man-cub, "With a week paw who kills cattle for sports and hut man for the fn of it!"

Raksha crawled up slowly towards the face of the tiger, "Leave! Or the pack will chase you back to your mother!"

Raksha gave a vicious growl to the tiger as he moved back away. He gazed through the entrance and growled, "The pack will not accept a man-cub. For you will poison the jungle." Shere Khan slowly walked away with Tabaqui laughing behind him as he could image eating the freshly bones off from the small man-cub.

After, the sun sets down on the skin of the jungle. The wolves of the pack arrived at Council Rock where it stands in a big area with the rocky cliffs behind. Their leader, Akela stands on the pointy, sharp edge with a small tree grew on the side of eth edge. It was just strongly hanging above where you could fall right down to the jungle. Raksha and Rama assembled a meeting to all the wolves. Even Baloo, the huge sloth bear sat near the side of the rocky cliff. His face was tough and strict as the cliffs were when being climbed on. All the wolves of the pack were there, sitting and waiting, and so was Akela at the top.

Raksha walked up in front of everyone, staring up to Akela and started, "To the free people of the pack. We found a man-cub."

Rama carried the man-cub in her mouth and dropped him carefully at the bottom of the edge where Akela stands. Quickly, the wolves gasped and with their loud, howling voices they commented horridly about the cub, like darkness quickly passes over the light of day in the season of winter. "That's not a wolf! It does not belong here! A man-cub! Outrageous!" they all howled.

Akela listen then commented himself, "Well, this is most unusual indeed.

"Akela" Raksha spoke only to her leader, "I wish to raise it as my own."

Akela paused feeling shocked, he replied but only to Rama, "And you? Rama?"

Rama stood by his mates' side, "I do."

The wolves raised their voice trying to convince Akela that Raksha and Rama are making a bad mistake. However, Akela had none of his ears out listening to a word they were howling at for he gazes down curiously at the man-cub. Akela crawled slowly towards the small cub as he stares curiously at the wolf leader. Their small and big eyes met, and the little man-cub had no sense of turning around out of fear. Akela has never seen the eyes of a cub of man, nor seen any creature brave enough to face him.

That moment, Akela straighten up and fairly decided, "According to the law of the jungle!" he started to get everyone's eyes staring up to him as he continued, "Two guardians must speak for the cub to live among us. This shall not be the parents themselves. So, who will speak for the man-cub!" There was deep silent which only terribly worried Raksha and Rama. However, the wolves behind shut their mouths tightly.

"I will speak for the cub!" a loud voice appeared from behind among the other wolves. Baloo walked over through the crowd of the wolves and stood behind Raksha and Rama. Baloo stare up to Akela, "I will be the cub's guardian!"

"How?! He is not a wolf himself!" many of the wolves howled angrily.

"Baloo taught your cubs!" Akela replied back loudly to his pack, "He has every right to speak as a true member of the pack!"

"So, who else will speak to the man-cub?!" Akela asked to the pack.

No voice appeared after Akela's question, but one did complain, "Akela, his parents will come looking for him!"

Suddenly, a loud, scary roar was called from the side. All heads quickly turned to the side. Shere Khan was walking along the flat, narrow path with three of his paws stepped peflectly like low banging drums along with his front, right paw crimpled down with his claws out scratching the surface of the floor. "His parents are dead. I killed them" He stopped when he reached closer enough to the wolves as they all growled and moved backwards away from the cruel tiger. "There is no one will come looking for him" Shere Khan eyed at the little man-cub.

Raksha stood above the man-cub and growled crossly. Akela shouted, "This is not of your concern, Shere Khan!"

"I have already tasted his mother's blood. It is my right" Shere Khan eerily replied, "Give me the cub!"

"Your right according to who's law?!" Raksha growled.

The wolves all growled together along with Baloo, then Shere Khan eerily smiled, "Of course, you do need one more to become the cub's guardian. If not, he is mine."

Everyone felt a cold chill down their spine and through their bone from the tiger's smile along with his laughter. However, Akela looked down sadly knowing that Shere Khan was right. There was a deeper silence which covered each mouth of the wolves, as they shivered in fear of the tiger. The moment was hopeless and dark for the little man-cub to have the chance to live. Raksha could cry out a howl in a tearful fear for the cub. For the tiger however, Shere Khan crawled slowly towards where the man-cub sits with Raksha standing above him. Shere Khan could nearly taste the blood of man deliciously swallowed down through his throat.

Unexpectly, a soft voice appeared, "I will speak for the man-cub!" the tiger stopped angrily, while the wolves all scan around to find who spoke out. However, this voice was not spoken out on their floor level, but just above them.

"Up there!" one wolf shouted. All eyes gazed up but could only see the blue sky and the shadowy sides of the rocky cliffs. No sight of a creature was spotted. Until, a large shape quickly moved from the left side of the rocky cliffs. It jumped from one dark shadow to another, still the wolves had no idea who or what the creature was. Until, it finally landed on the same floor level. It paused silently in the dark shadows till it steeped out slowly and began walking through the crowd.

The creature with the fur in the colour of the dark night, Bagheera the black panther. He was strong and fearful like Shere Khan. However, his voice was calm and soft like honey slowly dripping down from a high tree. The wolves all gasped and quietly whispered their comments to each other. Bagheera reached up in front of the crowd and looked up to the pack's leader, "Evening Akela" he turned his head around and faced the wolves, "Evening to the free people." Bagheera turned to face the big sloth bear, "Evening Baloo" but the bear eyed anxiously at the black panther. Finally, Bagheera turned to face the tiger, "Khan" but the tiger furiously growled and Bagheera showed a small grin.

"What are your concerns for being her, Bagheera?" Akela asked.

"Well, I heard of a man-cub been found around this area, so I curiously wondered around to know what happened and what will happened" Bagheera smiled with a cheerful voice. "So, I was just eavesdropping from above. Then you mentioned about guardians."

That give everyone the same idea about where Bagheera was heading to. Bagheera started, "The laws of the jungle say…"

"Why does the panther speak?!" Tabaqui shouted, "He is not a member of the free people! He has no right to speak for the man-cub!"

However, the jackal stated a good point, the wolves commented that Tabaqui is right. Bagheera silently paused without a look behind at Tabaqui, then continued, "True. But I have that you cannot, jackal. Is that I could kill a cowardly creature like you by a swing of my paw. So, if anyone who has no right to speak over me…" surprisingly Bagheera jumped tuning around to face Tabaqui and roar, "…it is you!"

Tabaqui jumped back in terror and hidden his master, Shere Khan. Bagheera growled showing his sharp, white teeth as his eyes burn in the bright colour of yellow. After, Bagheera turned back around to face Akela and continued, "The law of the jungle say that a life for a cub may be bought for a prince."

Akela paused in surprise, "That is true."

"So, if you accept my kill for the life of the man-cub, I shall be his guardian" Bagheera explained. He turned his head to look back eyeing at his kill, an adult deer behind the wolves, proving the prince he is paying.

However, Bagheera was not done talking for he heard the dislikes comments and the thoughts from the free people about the man-cub. Bagheera walked over in front of eth pack and said, "Why worry for a young, helpless cub?! Soon as the seasons come by, he could freeze to death in winter, burn alive in the summer."

Surprisingly, Bagheera's words shock the heads of the free people. Then, he turns to face Shere Khan as the tiger gave a deep death stare at the black panther. Bagheera started, "Why kill him now? When he grows, you could taste more of his blood, eat more of flesh, savaged around his bones."

Bagheera turn to face Akela again, "So, would you accept my kill?"

Akela paused staring down at Bagheera, till he nodded shortly with a small smile. Raksha and Rama could breathe calmly now for the man-cub's life is now in safe paws. Then, Akela turned to face the tiger, "Shere Khan! It's best that you leave now."

"Careful, Akela" Shere Khan replied with his voice began more deeper and darker, "You do not wish to challenge me!"

The wolves quickly came together and growled facing the drak tiger. Their eyes grew angrily red. They slowly all crawled together towards Shere Khan making the tiger to walk backwards away form eth wolves. Akela shouted, "This man-cub is now under the protection of the pack! Should you decide to take me, you take on the pack! All of us!"

The wolves snarl and bark loud as they continued crawling towards the tiger. Akela continued, "As long as I am leader, this part of the jungle is closed to you!"

Shere Khan roared, "But you cannot be leader forever. The day you miss your kill, the man-cub's blood will run down my chin" Shere Khan lifted his crimpled paw and his claw pointed from the top of his chin where he will taste the man-cub's blood and it will slide down to the bottom of his chin.

Finally, Shere Khan run off away from the pack's threating growls, along with Tabaqui racing up behind his cruel master. The wolves smiled, including Baloo and Bagheera. Akela said, "The cub is spoken for. He is one of us." Akela looks down directly at Baloo and Bagheera, "You will teach him as you would your own." The huge bear and the black panther nodded as their answer. Akela ended, "As long as I am alive, the pack will stand by the man-cub" Akela finished with his achieving howl and so other wolves howled with him. While, Raksha licked happily on her new cub, Mowgli.

 **Hey, so I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter because this is where I thought of some changes. Firstly, in the film it was Bagheera who found Mowgli and I thought that was a bit close to the Disney version. And how Bagheera should have speak to be one of Mowgli's guardian to the end.**

 **So, hopefully you enjoyed it. Please again to leave comments if you want me to continue. Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2: Sacred and Special

Chapter 2

Ten years has passed. Ten times the seasons all came and done. One usual day, the sun shines upon the wild, green surface of the jungle, and all seems silence and peace. Where man has claimed their place on the edge of the jungle, where their boats float on the side of the river. But, far off in a distance where Ra, the small kite flies over through the gentle wind. Down below, a sound of joyful howling echoing through the jungle. The grown up man-cub, Mowgli riding on the back of the black panther Bagheera. Faster than the speed of the wind or the rapids down the river to the waterfalls. Mowgli hanged on to Bagheera tight as he watches images of trees and bushes passing by fast as he smiley howled out. Bagheera's soft yellow eyes looked up to happy man-cub which grew a smile on his face, before he jumps over logs and large rocks.

"Faster! Bagheera! Faster!" Mowgli yelled.

Bagheera as Mowgli wished. The black panther leaped up on a bended tree and run across the large and long branches that stretch towards each other and connect like bridges. Mowgli leaned his head lower close to the soft, black fur of Bagheera, so the brunches doesn't scratch or hit on his face. Mowgli could feel the jungle spirt blowing pass through his long, black hair by the wind. The sun burning through the small gaps of the treetops as it's light touches his skin.

After, Bagheera slowed down as he leaped off the tree branches and landed on a rocky path. While, catching his breathe, Mowgli raised up and gazed at his home as the jungle blooms its trees, and its leaves, and its flowers. Bagheera walked them underneath a har rocky waterfall. The water drops over and pour into a whorl pool. Bagheera walked along where the water drops, and Mowgli reached his hand out feeling the water splashing down hard upon the palm of his hand, while eating a small, yellow mango.

Later, Bagheera taught Mowgli the ways of hunting through the jungle. They arrived down by the side of a lonely field filled with long, green grass. And, there on the other side is a lonely dear standing out of it's hiding and eating the fresh grass grown from the Earth. Bagheera began crawling slowly through the field and Mowgli copied Bagheera by going down on all fours and crawled exactly as Bagheera. Mowgli stared sharply at the dear in a distance as Bagheera was. Mowgli watched as Bagheera stopped slowly and sliced his claws out from his paws and dug them into the skin of the Earth. Mowgli looked down at his hands and dug his fingers into the dirty skin covered with black soil.

"Hunting is sacred, Little Brother" Bagheera whispered. Mowgli looked to face Bagheera and the panther continued, "By the laws of the jungle, every creature for himself. It is our right. But, we must not ever do it for sport."

Mowgli nodded his head to Bagheera showing his understanding. After, Bagheera crunched down lower and crawled slower towards the dear, and Mowgli followed. They were coming closer to deer, Bagheera whispered, "Wait here and watch, Little Brother." Mowgli stood still, and his eyes follow Bagheera as the black panther was crawler closer, and closer, and closer. Till, Bagheera acted the final movement as he run out from his hiding and leaped at the deer with a mighty roar. Mowgli watched Bagheera taking the deer down lower than the high level of the green grass, and heard it cried in fear and shock. Mowgli finally crawled closer to see Bagheera now standing over his prey with his mouth gasping for air while showing his white teeth. His left paws hold down the deer by his neck and head.

Bagheera looks up to Mowgli and whisper, "Wait, wait" Mowgli stopped still again and looks up at Bagheera as the panther continues, "Look into his eyes, Little Brother." Mowgli did as he was told as his eyes meet with the eyes of the deer. "So, his soul does not depart alone" Bagheera explain. Mowgli stares into the deer's eyes and saw his reflection. Feeling the calmness from the deer's soul, no fear, no anger, nothing dark to see. Mowgli sees the living sense from the deer equally to how he's living. Soon after, Bagheera widen his mouth quickly and bite on the deer's neck. Mowgli watched the deer cry before its life was quickly gone from this world, forever.

Bagheera decided to take a rest for himself as he laid on a big log standing above a small river. Mowgli sat on the other side as he gazes around the jungle while listening to the birds singing and flying around underneath the green treetops. He dropped a left floating down till it lands on the surface of the small river and watched it floats down the slow rapid and underneath the long log to the other side.

Mowgli looks around above at the inner surface of the jungle and wondered a question, he reached the tip of his toes and shake on Bagheera's nose to wake him up. "Bagheera, how old is the jungle?" Mowgli asked.

Bagheera still kept his eyes shut but he answered, "The jungle was here before any of us were born…" Bagheera widen his mouth to let out a huge yawn while showing his white, sharp teeth, then he continued, "…and it will be here after we die."

"So, you see, Little Brother" Bagheera added to Mowgli as the man-cub continued gazing around the bright beauty of the jungle, "The jungle is enteral."

Quickly, Mowgli thought of another question to ask. This question haunted him in his mind for a long time. "Bagheera…" Mowgli stare back down at sleepy Bagheera, "…why, am I different to the other wolves?"

That question slowly open Bagheera's eyes and he look right up to Mowgli. The panther raised himself up to see Mowgli face to face at eye level. Mowgli explained his question, he looked at his hands, "I have no claws." Then he pointed and pressured his finger underneath on of his teeth and felt no sharpness, "No fangs." After, Mowgli scanned around his body, "And no fur."

Bagheera understood what and why Mowgli was asking. He took a deep breathe in and out as he thought of an answer that will show him no shame in being different. "Mowgli…" Bagheera started as he wanted Mowgli to look up to him so Bagheera will tell the man-cub's understanding through the centre of his eyes. "…every creature in this jungle different. And, that would make every creature in this jungle special."

Bagheera explained, "The birds have their wings to fly. The rabbits have their long ears to hear danger. The panther the speed to climb on trees."

"You are different, Mowgli" Bagheera raised his paw up and touch underneath Mowgli's chin to raise his head high, he finished with a gentle smile, "You are special." Mowgli widely smiled back. He loved the friendship he had with Bagheera. Feels a great understanding bone from Bagheera, like he knows exactly what Mowgli feels when and what he needs to feel then.

After a second, Bagheera looks up and measured the timing from the sun's hot lighting on the surface on and through the trees. Bagheera raised up and turned around to walk off the log and stand on the land filled soil and grass. "Come now, Little Brother" Bagheera yelled behind with a cheerful voice, "Time for your lesson."

Mowgli huffed with tiredness. He quickly raised up and trod down the log by his two legs. "Why must I go?!" Mowgli moaned, "I already know the laws of the jungle."

"Mowgli, how many times must I tell you that your lessons are important to you" Bagheera asked with a small smile.

Mowgli jumped on Bagheera's back and answered, "As coconut there are on a tree."

"Exactly, Little Brother" Bagheera replied.

Bagheera began running again as the wind began blowing through the jungle. Mowgli holds on tight onto Bagheera's back with his finger slipping through the panther's black fur. While, he howls joyfully again as he enjoys the ride.


	3. Chapter 3: Baloo's lesson

Chapter 3

The day was the same as this morning, fresh sir from the green trees and grass to breathe in, and peacefully to relax yourself. However, Mowgli couldn't have that at the moment. Stuck in one of Baloo's strict lesson like a fly trapped in a spider's web. Luckily Mowgli gets to lay down on the soil rouge ground, spread his long, black hair out getting tangled and messed with the soil and dirt of the ground and the leaves fallen from the high trees. Wondering his daydreamy eyes up staring through the tree branches to the clear blue sky. Mowgli tells old, big Baloo everything about him talking to Bagheera.

"Of course, you're different, and special!" Baloo took a huge bite on a large, yellow mango, he spitted, "That's why you need special training."

"Baloo, how ants can you fit in your mouth?" Mowgli changed the subject, "Because ants are so small, and your mouth is really big."

"The problem with you is your lack of focus" Baloo remined as he was still chewing the mango, his mouth was filled with the squeezed juice and bits of the mango.

"Or how many monkeys can a python swallow in one gulp?" Mowgli was still distracted, "Because their bodies are really long and…"

"Mowgli! Will you focus!" Baloo roared.

Unaware, a small, black scorpion crawled gently on Mowgli's stomach to the centre of his chest without giving any scene of attention. Even his it's tiny, fast feet softly sly around eth man-cub's skin. Mowgli's eyes didn't bother to roll down to notice the long, round tail crawling towards his face with its spark end. Soon, Mowgli felt the fast tiptoes close to the edge of his neck till it climbed up on the side of his face. His daydreamy eyes quickly focused on the appearance of the black scorpion in the centre of his face. Mowgli's wide eyes meet with its tiny eyes.

"Do. Not. Move" Baloo warned in an anxiously whisper, watching from a short distance.

Remembered of his hunting lesson with Bagheera, when they stare int the eyes of their capture before their deaths. There was no time limit for any moment for death to stick. Mowgli stared into the scorpions' very tiny eyes, if he could see them clear. He imagen it's tail leaning back and high preparing to stick its awful, sting at eth end of its tail into one of his dark brown eyes or in the centre of his forehead. Waiting time is finished when the scorpion continued crawling to the top of Mowgli's head at the edge of his messy, black hair.

Mowgli quickly lifted himself up fast, dropping the scorpion off from his head and fallen back to the ground. The fear of the deathly sting didn't bother him as Mowgli moaned, "Baloo, why do I have to do this anywhere?"

"Because I say so" Baloo strictly answered then ordered, "Now, tell me the three laws of the jungle."

Mowgli decided to jump up and climbed on the small trees with long, strong branches while answering, "No wolf shall contact man."

Again, Mowgli distracted with wondering thoughts and question in his head, "Baloo, what happened to your tail."

"Next!" Baloo loudly roar out his order.

"No wolf shall hunt man's animals" Mowgli howled as he picked up a vine from the side of a tree branch, and swing himself to another tree, "Like their cows, which is scared."

"Did your tail fall off or something?" Mowgli repeated his distracted question, "Or was it eaten by something?"

"What?" Baloo was getting annoyed, he gave Mowgli taste of his own question, "Why don't you have a tail?"

"I don't know" Mowgli answered as he looked suspicious to himself, he remembered asking Bagheera why he looked different than the other wolves. Mowgli added, "I haven't really thought about it."

"Ha! So, we're both even" Baloo growled, "The third law!"

"No wolf shall kill man for more man may come and will bring danger to the jungle" Mowgli answered as he jumped and swing on a long branch above and landed on another branch.

"Good! Now you know your laws" Baloo picked up another large, yellow mango by his paw, "We need you to get as fast as the other wolves."

Mowgli began swinging upside down with his legs around the branch, while his eyes began to wonder around again curiously Mowgli was unaware Baloo's paw was in an aiming position. Baloo waited until the boy was facing in his direction, so Baloo threw the mango straight at Mowgli's face. Howled in pain from the mango harmfully hit in the centre of his nose, Mowgli leaned way back unaware that he's losing his balance and fallen off from the branch.

Baloo laughed and advised, "Never let your guard."

Mowgli manged to get himself half-way up before Baloo said, "Alright, that's enough for today." Mowgli excitedly jumped up and started running.

"Straight back to the caves! No wondering off" Baloo roared, "And run like a wolf, you hear!"

"I am a wolf!" Mowgli shouted back before he disappeared running though the green bushes and leaves from eth trees. Baloo laughed at his response, but the laughter quickly vanishes, and a worried smile grew on his face.

Mowgli run as fast through the jungle, until he stopped close by a large log covered in all green plants and flowers. He looked all around checking no eyes spotted him, so Mowgli was slide through underneath the log. Using his arms to pull himself through, feeling the soil more muddy and wet, and the insects he crashed on by his huge body. Finally, he reached to the end and arrived at an edge of a huge cliff. Mowgli closed his eyes and felt the cool the blows high above the jungle hits on his face. The birds' tweet echoing from above as they fly high with the wind like Ra the kite. Mowgli crawled on all fours to the edge of the cliff and gazed down at the surface of the jungle as it shines bright form the sun's bright light. No sight of the ground as it was covered like the shield of green leaves, expect for the long, calm river. Where there will be creatures to what the animals named, "Man." They all warned all the young cubs to stay away from Man, but Mowgli allow his curiously to control him. He has never seen one but just in a far distance. More curious about the way they live and do during their days. He sees them on flat things that float above the river like crocodiles.

"Mowgli!" a voice of gentleness echoed close by, and another voice appeared, "Brother!"

Turned his head around and quickly crawled back underneath the log and entered back into the world green. Quickly, Mowgli was welcomed by a young wolf cub.

"Hello Grey Brother" Mowgli smiled, seeing his favourite brother as he was his.

"Great to see you too, Mowgli" Grey replied. He turned his head and shouted behind, "Leela, I've found him!"

Seconds later, Leela ran up to the two brothers. Granddaughter of Akela, she is the only female albino wolf that lives in the wolf pack. Her white fur shows a glamour beauty like a star, symbolling her kindness. That not even the cleanest flower blooms could compare to the fur of Leela. She attracts lots of the young males to fight to be her mate, yet she defines their foolish behaviour.

Leela arrived by the left side of Grey Brother. She looks up to Mowgli and noticed his feet were still underneath the log and asked, "What were you doing?"

"Oh, nothing" Mowgli quickly lied.

"What has Baloo been teaching you today?" Grey Brother asked.

"Just the laws of the jungle again" Mowgli answered tiredly, "He says that I have a lack of focus."

"Ah, Baloo said that to all of us" Grey Brother said.

"I guess it runs in the family then" Leela joked, they all laughed shortly then she suggested, "Let's see if you brothers have a lack of speed."

The brothers quickly knew that Leela was suggesting a race, so they quickly bended their front half lower to the ground and their legs from back half raisin. "Wait for my call" Leela warned.

Mowgli bended his fingers and dug his finger nails not the soil ground and his toes stretch out on the flat Earth and raising himself. Waiting for the call.

"Go!" Leela yelled.

Mowgli and Grey Brother started running, but Leela ran passing in between them toward the other direction. Leela shouted, "It's the other way idiots!"

Mowgli and Grey Brother turned around and quickly catch up with Leela. The three ran alongside each other. Hitting faces of big, green leaves, jumping over logs and small cliffs. While their howl their voices of joy through the jungle.

Soon, they arrived back at Council Rock. The three wolves walked along the rocky paths. The male wolves were just leaving their caves to be prepared for the night hunt. Mowgli encountered stares and faces of disgust from some of the young cubs, bust mostly from the elder wolves. He can ignore the stares, but left him wondering eth same question in his mind, "Why?"

Unaware of three young cubs in white and reddish orange fur colour. They walked behind and got Leela in the middle. She couldn't get out at the front or the back because one of them was blacking out. They sniff around Leela's neck and at the end of her tail. Leela growls but they keep ignoring her and continue. Mowgli and Grey noticed and growl with angry eyes. The other three wolf cubs moved back while growling back feeling annoy. They stare mainly at the Mowgli.

Once they left, Mowgli walked over to Leela and gently stroke the top of her head. He whispered, "You shouldn't let them treat you like that."

"I'm fine. I'm used to it" Leela quickly answered. Their innocent eyes meet and smiled at each other.

Leela walked off in a different direction back to her home cave. Mowgli and Grey Brother watched Leela first welcomed by her grandfather, Akela. Meanwhile Mowgli and Grey Brother walked back to their home cave. Raksha was outside sitting while cleaning one of her younger cubs by her long tongue. Dear Mother Wolf smiled widely at the sight of her sons arriving.

"How was Baloo's lesson, little frog?" Raksha asked looking at her furless man-cub like a tiny, smooth-skin frog as Mowgli's nickname.

"Good mother" Mowgli gracefully at Mother Wolf.

"He was getting faster in the running" Grey Brother explained positively about his favourite, different brother, "Nearly keeping up with me."

"Your father was not as fast in the past unlike now" Raksha said in time of Father Wolf walked out of his cave and stood beside his mate.

Ruma looked at Mowgli with his eyes show the strengthen love he bonded with his son. "True" Father Wolf added after Raksha, "I was not as fast as eth other wolves, I was sure I would fail the running. But as time comes, we all change shortly."

Soon, their great, old wolf leader, Akela howled loud and clear for the wolves to come for the night hunt. Before leaving, Ruma gazed down proudly at his sons, "Soon you will join in. All of you." The last part he gazed at Mowgli, knowing his doubts comparing to the other wolf cubs. But Mowgli felt honour from his family to try and be part of their community.

After, Ruma walked fast to the other wolves with their leader. Akela slowly finished his howling and shouted to his pack, "Good hunting!" He started leading the pack down from their Council Rock to the edge of the jungle. The wolves howled and repeatedly yelling, "Good hunting all!" Finally, they started the run through the jungle and search for food.

The younger cubs of Raksha wanted to see where the other wolves were heading off to. Not before a terrifying roar from Mother Wolf scared them back into their cave. With her angry growl and her silent eyes warned them of leaving without permission. They respected Mother Wolf's orders as the cubs prayed, "Good hunting." Mowgli and Grey Brother whispered to their father and their pack. Watching the pack vanished through the green mist of the jungle's large shield trees. Mowgli stilled held his small smile of proudness from his father. For being part of his family, and soon, and hoped, being part of the pack.

 **Hey guys, welcome back! To start off I liked Bhoot, in fact anyone one who has seen the film will probably love Bhoot. At the start, I was a bit confused to who he was because I have never heard of this new, strange character, he wasn't from the original book or the late jungle book movies, but he's really good character. However, sorry to say that I have written him out of this story, but I wanted to link it more to the original book. Then, I found another character, Leela who is the granddaughter of Akela and I thought, 'Leela isn't really recognised in the story, so why not?"**

 **Now, I know what you're probably thinking about Leela in the near future chapters, but maybe keep low for I don't want to give out SPOILERS to any readers who haven't seen the film yet. It's completely up to you, but you never what could happen in the story?**

 **See you soon…**


	4. Chapter 4: The Running Practice

Chapter 4

The next bright morning, as the jungle entire awaken from its long slumber. Baloo ordered all the young wolf cubs to come to their meeting point. Mowgli and the wolf cubs all lined up straight next to each other on a small sandy circular floor area with the thrashing, green trees and bushes. Waiting patiently for their teacher arrive while unknowingly Bagheera arrive and sat on a huge, grey rock behind them. Unexpectedly, Baloo jumped from the side creating a small, but loud earthquake right underneath the cub's paws.

Baloo started walking in front of the cubs and with his hard-line voice he roared, "This is jungle!" he started listing while slowly circling around in front, "In the jungle, there are predators and the preys!"

"The predators must always hunt!" Then his voice slowly forms into a more reasonable, creepy tone, "But like the preys, we are all hunted." The cubs understood the way they have to hunt and kill their prey, but when Baloo just give them an image of themselves as the prey the cubs had a cold chill down their spines.

"And you do not want to be caught" Baloo advised while slowly walking around the line-up cubs. One of the cubs pushed Mowgli to the side not harshly but by his head while growling his sharp teeth. Feeling threaten Mowgli growled back fearfully along with his brother, Gray who was beside him. Baloo was now behind so Mowgli stopped and listen while eth other cub laughed silently. Unaware Baloo was crawling towards them from behind closer while continuing, "Because if you are caught, then you will fail!"

Straight away Baloo swings his huge claw from behind and hit the wolf cub who was right next to Mowgli far off. Baloo roared, "Pay attention!" after the wolf got back on his fours and walked back whining quieting. The other cubs keep very still and silent for they dare not wish to be in that same harshly position.

"What's the Running, Baloo?" the strict bear sarcastically questioned from the tip of the cubs' thoughts. "The running is the hunt where you... are the prey" Baloo eerily stare at the cubs as they silently whined in fear.

"Now, Bagheera here... You all know Bagheera, don't you?" Baloo looked up behind him where the heads of the cubs all twist round to look behind in surprise as they ever noticed Bagheera was behind. "Yeah, Bagheera, friendly Bagheera" Baloo commented. Mowgli's and Bagheera's eyes meet, the black panther smiles gently as soft as honey and eth man-cub smiled in return. After Mowgli turn his head back to Baloo, the other wolf-cubs turn their heads gazing at Bagheera and all they got in return is a death stare from the vicious, black panther. Quickly turn their heads back round in fear.

"Now in The Running, Bagheera will hunt you, and if he catches you... you fail" Baloo explained slowly word by word.

"What happens if you fail?" Mowgli bravely asked staring up to Baloo with curious eyes.

"You don't join the pack!" Baloo roared, like a cyclone thrashing hard right into Mowgli's and the cubs' faces.

The cubs quickly straighten themselves up as their eyes keep up to Baloo, unexpectedly Baloo's voice began calmer, "But I have never had of my cubs failed. And I am not planning to start now."

"So, lets practice!" Baloo walked to the side and stood on a flat, grey rock watching high of his cubs.

All of the cubs quickly turned around facing the other directions. Mowgli and the cubs moved to the side a bit to give themselves some space to take off. After, they bended down with their front legs low and reached out in front, and their back legs kneeling low. Mowgli took in a deep breathe of the jungle air into his lungs. Digging his fingers into the sandy floor, feeling the Earth beneath his fingertips. He lifted his back side up as well as the other wolf cubs did. Their eyes all focus straight ahead.

"Wait! Wait…" Baloo's word tempted the cub's patience to lift off and run fast like the wind. Growling loud for desperation to run off and their legs rattling. After a few seconds, the exciting word welcomes through Baloo's wide mouth, "Go!"

Lifting their paws up and pushing themselves off the ground as the sand was brushed off into the air from their paws. The cubs sprinted in the fastest speed they could get, entering into the green jungle again where the large leaves hit into their faces. Their feet pushing down on the ground as an inch of dark soil fell in between their claws and paws, as well as for Mowgli in between his nails and his fingers. Gray was racing up in first place while the other wolf cubs were behind with the man-cub. One of the cubs knocked the man-cub hard to side, Mowgli did get hit hard on a rouge tree but manages to get back up. Mowgli was racing in last behind the others.

"Faster!" Baloo unexpectedly was running up beside Mowgli. Baloo was speeding up changeling Mowgli to run faster. However, with his long, black hair flocking infront of his eyes, but mostly to the fact that he couldn't keep up while he's running on his arms and legs. Baloo and the wolf cubs were far off ahead in the jungle, so Mowgli decided to stop. Raising up and giving his arms a good rest while breathing heavily for some fresh air to cool down his lungs. The sun's burning light touches parts on Mowgli's skin making him more tired. Decided to walk down by his two legs to where some fresh water lays on the large leaves above him like a wide blow of water. Gently pulling one of the large leaves so Mowgli could pour the water down to his mouth and swallow down his throat as it was refreshing his lungs and heart.

Peaceful silence echoed to his ears until it was broken by an unsustain squeaky sound. By The corner of his eye there was a small mango skin as yellow as the sun. Curiosity got to Mowgli as the man-cub walked over and shaped the long arm that was holding the small mango. Scanning from down to up of the long, hairy arm, checking if it's safe. Mowgli knew straight away that that arm belongs to one of the monkey-people. But with the same rumble in his stomach, Mowgli couldn't help but quickly try to snatch the yellow mango. However, the monkey was too fast and swings it's arm above the trees. Mowgli slowly climbed up one of the trees as the branches won't so far high. Peeking through the giant, green leaves and the sun's light was the first welcome to his blurry eyes. Till the squeaky sound was heard again above but closer. A giant leave was moving to the side and revealed a much smaller face. Its twitchy noise flatter and its wide eyes cheerfully gazing down at the man-cub. Mowgli smiled back in return. But his smile was quickly snatched away when he felt a mouthful of teeth gripped tight on one of his ankles. Pulled Mowgli down from the tree branches and landed harshly on the rough ground.

A deep voice roared to Mowgli's ears, "You were with the monkey-people again!"

The rage in Baloo's eyes were threating again to Mowgli, however the man-cub only responded back with a vexed growl. Baloo gave Mowgli some space to get himself up back on his arms and legs. Baloo started to walk and Mowgli followed with a strop look on his face.

"How many times have I told you not to go near the monkey-people?" Baloo questioned loudly.

"As many as the number of bananas in that tree" Mowgli shortly answered sarcastically.

"This is no joke man-cub!" Baloo roared, "The monkey-people are dangerous!"

"More dangerous than Jacala, the crocodile?" Mowgli asked.

"You know what I mean" Baloo grumpily replied.

"The monkey-people have no law, they're unpredictable, and they can't even speak proper" Baloo commented.

"Well, I think they are funny" Mowgli said with a small cheerful smile.

"There is nothing funny about them. You keep away, do you understand?"

"Yes..." Mowgli moaned.

They reached by a small waterfall splashing down fresh water down into a long pool filled with grey, fogging water. Mowgli and Baloo walked underneath the hard-rock ceil, crossing over a wet, rocky floor with sharp point on the side of the hard-rock wall. Mowgli was closer to the side of where the water pours over the rocky edge, he could feel the tinniest drops of water fell on his warn skin.

"I am not afraid of them, you know Baloo" Mowgli said in courage.

"Only fools feel no fear, Mowgli" Baloo advised truthfully as Mowgli heard that saying many times from the wolves and Bagheera.

"The monkey-people are especially foolish" Baloo continued arguing about the monkey-people, "There's nothing they're afraid of. Well, except Kaa."

Mowgli rolled his eyes in tiredness. He began walking slowly so he Baloo would be far ahead of him, as the old bear continued laughing like Mowgli was listening, "Oh, they wouldn't dare lay an eye on her. Because if they did…" Mowgli was behind Baloo and silently crawled his way through the green bushes and the giant leaves. Mowgli join up by walking only on his two legs. Mowgli wondered down passing straight and wonky trees, wide giant leave spread out from below and above. Hoping to meet Bagheera as they always have a good time together. Until Mowgli stopped.

There was a peaceful silence which was interrupted by a small, but faster buzzy sound. Mowgli's curiosity dragged the man-cub closer to the small buzzy sound. He parted the giant leaves and branches to the side, his eyes focus straight-ahead. Till he spotted a usual shock. Laying trapped in between large branches was a white cattle. Millions and millions of tiny, black flies surrounding the cattle, they were drawn to the large chunk on the back of the cattle was ripped off. Detoxing the flies to come over and have a sweet taste of cold blood. Mowgli could see the detoxing red blood through the clean, jungle air to his nose, but this is smelt wrong. He smelt the bliss of killing that cattle, the bliss of breaking one the sacred laws of the jungle.

The worse has arrived to the corner of his eyes. Mowgli slowly turned his head to his right to gaze at a regular, straight tree. Calming walking towards it for his eyes caught a small glimpse of red on the very edge of the tree's rough skin where a few flies come to land on. Mowgli stood in a different angle and his eyes grew wider in fear. The tree held a three deep scars from sharp claws in the red blood of the cattle. Most of the flies flew away from the scars in the same fear. Mowgli's first thought was Bagheera for the black panther was the only jungle cat he knows, but he knew deeply to his heart that kind Bagheera would never do this. The detoxing smell through his nose from the deep scars, poisoning the mind of thinking of the raging attack. Unknowing, Mowgli lifted his fingers closer to the scars, he felt like he needed to. His three middle fingers rubbed gently in the centre line of the three scars. Feeling tiny red blood touching the tip of his fingers. Now, he could taste the smell down his throat like he was having his early dinner with his wolf family.

Slowly, stretching his fingers wide covering over the lines of the scars. A deep, cold child crawled slowly down Mowgli's spin like a predator crawling towards its' prey. Mowgli could feel the killer. He could feel some rage in the scars like the killer wanted to do it. The scars somehow shivered deep within his arms in fear, hearing his bones rattling, his own blood pumping faster than usual. To his mind an image appealed to his mind, it welcomed eyes brightly yellow, yet they were darker than what they appeared. His body nor darker than night, but brighter than day as though the killer could camouflage into the lines of the jungle. The visual imagining twisted his stomach hard like a python squeezing its prey to death. Finally, he didn't image in his mind, but Mowgli heard a terrifying roar. What's scaring Mowgli the most, is the imagining looks more real than what it seems, like a memory

The shocking imagining pulled Mowgli back away from the tree, his fingers slipped off from the surface of the scars, but he couldn't manage to get his eyes off from the scars. There was no court limit for how many steps Mowgli was talking. The gazing started to showing visions of that raging feeling of the killing creature, the terrifying roar shivered in his entire body. It roared echoed loud breathing coldly with the air of fresh and blood, somehow made Mowgli like it was real. Until a smooth touch at the centre of his back.

Mowgli screamed in shock while jumping forward away. Looking behind he realised it was Baloo. He rough face looked seriously angry, "What did you run off?!" he roared, "When I am talking to you, you…" Mowgli watched as Baloo caught the same reaction as the man-cub when he noticed the deep scars on the tree marked with red blood. Baloo eyes were curiously worried till the black flies shift the old bear's starting to the dead cattle. Mowgli watched Baloo's eyes grew wide.

The sudden cold chill crawled down Mowgli spin again. His eyes slide to his right side behind the dead cattle. His eyes say that they caught something moving, but Mowgli it felt like something caught him standing there still. Mowgli stare deeper through the giant leaves and the dark shadows hiding underneath from the sun's bright light. There was to see, yet there were dark yellow eyes staring at the man-cub.

"Turn around!" Baloo yelled with a pitch of fear which easily covered his voice.

"But, what…" Mowgli tried to question.

"Go! Eyes forward" Baloo ordered strictly.

Mowgli did as he was told, he looked forwards and moved. However, he still felt some eyes, those visual, yellow eyes watching him. He didn't dare to look back, Mowgli didn't why, for something is staring at the man-cub. Mowgli somehow felt an eerily grin scaring behind, and the chill crawled back colder. Mowgli continued walking along with Baloo walking behind. Mowgli heard Baloo turning his head around facing back at the dead. Mowgli is walking silently with a small frown, but was left with loud, usual questions that he has never faced before, yet he desperately needed to know.


	5. Chapter 5: Dark Decisions

Chapter 5

The night felt cold, like winter has never left the green jungle. The dark shadows shallowing everything in sight inside and out. The wolf pack all gathered at Council Rock. They all silently sat around, not a single word broke the silence beside their steps they tapped down upon the rocky ground. Raksha and Ruma arrived by the front of the crowd. Raksha' eyes froze still as she spotted Baloo quietly talk to Akela. What seems worse, was Akela reacted in a deep shock which shivered his entire body after the talk with Baloo. Soon, Akela leaped up at the top rock by the edge of the rocky cliff.

"Attention wolf brothers of the pack!" Akela roared.

All the wolves held their heads up high as they gazed up to their pack leader. Bagheera was laying on flat layer on the side of the high rocky cliff just behind the crowd, resting his head in the centre between his crossed paws. Baloo sat by the right side of the crowd.

"Baloo have bad news to share" Akela turn his head facing down at Baloo, and so did the pack.

"A cow has been killed…" Baloo started, already got the whole pack to gasped. Baloo finished, "…and has been left there to be found."

Whispers of fear and rage spread around the pack, some gasped loudly and some whispered to each other. Their heads twist around side to side to meet all eyes if what the bear says is true.

"The tiger! He has returned come back!"

"Only Khan would kill man's cattle!" mentioning the tiger's name, Shere Khan already shivered coldly down all of the wolves' spines.

"He wants the man-cub!" that wolf who shouted raised all heads up in fear, mostly for themselves. Bagheera raised his head up in fear for Mowgli, and so did Baloo and the cubs' wolf parents. Quickly, all the wolves stare at Akela in red eyes filled with frustration.

"That man-cub will bring more men to the jungle!"

"Akela, we knew this would happen!"

"We told you those seasons ago!"

"Can you not you see, Akela, the man-cub is putting us all in danger."

"You were wrong to take the cub in!"

So many voices echoed inside Akela's mind as it started vexing about what's right for the pack. Nevertheless, the old leader stood still and calm and continued watching his pack growled out excuses and comments about keeping the man-cub. Until one wolf yelled which dragged all eth attention, "We should give him to the tiger!"

Rakshas' rage boiled hotter over her highest limits, she roared back the argument, "No!" She leaped out shortly from her position and growled at the crowd, "Have you forgotten the laws that tiger committed!" The front of the crowd crawled back quickly away from the devilish stare from Rakshas' fury eyes, "My cub shall not be given to a bloodthirsty law-breaker!"

Ruma moved in from behind Raksha to stand and support his mate, whatever the situation. Then walked up by the bottom of the high, rocky edge where Akela stood higher. Ruma stare up to Akela, he begged gently, "Please Akela. The boy is one of us."

Akela's compassion draws him to taste the love and care from Raksha and Ruma for the man-cub. He looks up at the pack and shouted, "The meeting is over! Go!"

Slowly, the pack started walking back to their caves. Akela walked down to speak to Ruma face-to-face. "I will speak with the guardians. We shall talk tomorrow" Akela clearly stated and Ruma nodded with a thankful gaze before leaving with Raksha.

Bagheera jumped down from layer to layer till he reached down to the same level then over to Akela and Baloo. Once all the wolves have left the area as Akela watched them. He stared out with the jungle ate the right side of his view and the side of the rocky cliffs. Akela started from a usual point of the unexpectedness. "I fear Shere Khan will bring war to the jungle."

Baloo and Bagheera started at each other with shocked and puzzled eyes. Baloo questioned with his speechless voice, "War? With man? Has Khan lost his mind?"

"He wants war with me first" Akela finally turns around and faced them. "He knows I'm getting old. He knows I would be able to defend the boy."

"The pack will defend him" Baloo stated.

"The pack is not going to defend the man-cub day-by-day, are they Baloo?" Bagheera argued.

"Well, what do you suggested?" Baloo huffed roughly.

Bagheera faced Akela and said with gentleness, "The jungle is no longer safe for him."

"We can protect him" Akela replied fast straight after.

"You know there is only one way to protect him" Bagheera pointed out, "Mowgli must go to the man village."

"You got to joking" Baloo replied.

"Does my face look like that I am joking" Bagheera revealed his stressfulness marked on his face. Baloo always thought of Bagheera was a loose mongoose distracting Mowgli from his main important lessons. Now, Bagheera unleashed his anger for Mowgli now being in a two worst positions; being accepted to the pack, or to be hunted by a man-eating tiger.

Baloo looked shocked from Bagheeras' suggested for he has never the fiery rage form the black panther. However, Akela had a calm stare for the old leader already knew the opinion. "You are forgetting, Bagheera" Akela explained, "This was always more than just a good deed." Akela stared out of the wide view of the jungle, Baloos' and Bagheeras' eyes followed. In the centre of the view. The black mountains pointing sharply high in the dark sky. Below, there sets flaming lights brighter than the stars above, that's where the man-village lays with their special lights that glow in the dark. Akela continued, "The jungle is changing. Man is taking more of it, as each season passes. And the boy... may just be our only hope of survival.

Bagheera looked back with a pitch of rage in his eyes, he huffed like laughter thinking it was a childish joke, "He is just a boy! A living creature like us! Not a bloody pathway to survival for your own sake!"

"The pack will protect the cub if he passes The Running" Akela stated his idea.

Bagheera has no agreements written on his face. He started walking slowly away but stopped with his face in line with Akela. The black panther twisted his head to eths ide and commented, "And you are forgetting, Akela. 'If' the boy pass, but what happens 'if' he does not."

Bagheera walked off again through the rocky pathway and enter back into the dark shadowy jungle. Not before he stopped at the edge of the cave entrance where Mowgli sleeps in with his wolf brothers. His yellow eyes gazed down on the man-cub with grief, Bagheera loved his 'little brother' and wished for no harm to come to Mowgli. But, he knew that would impossible to handle. He dragged himself forwarded, entering back into the shadowy jungle.

After Bagheera left, Akela and Baloo fell into silence. Knowing Bagheera was right, however Akela wanted to take the risky chance. He faced Baloo with a strict stare, "Baloo, is the boy ready?"

"Of course, he is not ready" Baloo answered quickly, "He is not a wolf."

"Then make him ready" Akela growled furiously, which got Baloo still coldly. The rouge bear nodded slowly and lowed his head knowing this will be difficult for him, but mostly for Mowgli. Soon, Baloo walked off after Akelas' orders, then so did the old leader as they both headed to their caves for some sleep after this long night.

The next bright morning, Mowgli was sleeping peacefully besides his wolf brothers with his parents sleeping on the other side of the cave. Mowgli's eyes were covered with sleep dust over his black eyelashes and small hair pieces from his bothers' fur after hugging his brothers ls night before sleep. His entire body was completing shut down into a deep sleep. Till, a huge paw first rubbed on the side of the man-cubs' arms, but Mowgli didn't respond. The second time the paw banged itself down harder like it was breaking the bones in the arm. Mowgli got up half-way in a full self-defence, he turned around and was first welcomed by a surprised.

"Come on" Baloo ordered with a tingle of quietness for he don't want to wake up the other wolf cubs and their parents. He swings his head to the side pointing the director towards the awaking jungle.

"What?" Mowgli moaned with tiredness.

"Get out now" Baloo ordered again, then slowly walked away showing the rouge is in no rush.

Mow still held a puzzled look since his awakening with his eyes filled with confusion. Mowgli didn't know why Baloo wanted Mowgli to get to get up early, or where Baloo wanted him to go. But, Mowgli managed to get himself up and crawled out of his homey cave so he doesn't hear Baloo rusty voice moaning around with orders. Baloo lead Mowgli deep into the bright green jungle, where the birds awake from their nests and began flying high through the tree branches. Mowgli felt the first touch of the sun's bright light warning his skin and his long, wavy hair. His fingers steeping softly upon the jungle ground and allowing the soil to get stuck in between his fingernails.

Finally, Baloo lead Mowgli to their destination, by a think, high tree with only small, green leaves at the ends of its' branches. Mowgli stopped by eth side of Baloo and stare up high till his eyes caught to the top of the tree. Scanning for anything that could clued Mowgli for what Baloo wanted the man-cub to do.

"See that branch?" Baloo asked. Mowgli followed Baloo's stare pointing at a high, long branch which was near the centre of the height of the tree. Baloo ordered, "Climb up to there."

"Why?" Mowgli wondered.

"Just do it!" Baloo roared, and Mowgli did as he was told.

Mowgli dug his hands into the rounded lines on the think skin of the tree, pulling himself up off the ground, then getting and getting higher. He finally reached to the branch and stood by the truck as he feels more of the jungle wind blowing gentling on his skin and his black off his shoulders and his back. Mowgli gazes down at the rouge bear who was sitting down lazy gazing Back high at the man-cub as Mowgli was waiting for the next order.

Baloo started, "Right, for now no more messing about! This is a serious matter! Can you run as fast as a wolf? No, you cannot! Even a turtle can beat you!"

"So, why am I up here than practicing more running?" Mowgli yelled back down.

"Because you have got tiny things at the ends of your paws" Baloo firstly explained, Mowgli looked down at his hands and his fingers scanning them around for him and all the animals of the jungle do not have a word for them. Baloo yelled an example, "Like when you pick out twigs out of your brothers' paws. So let's use them."

"Now jump, to there" Baloo point his heading high above to another branch just a bit lower just was fine, but it was much further. Mowgli gulped silently out of unknown worriedness, he loved climbing up the trees but for some reason he didn't know why he feels nervous for jumping off. "Come on, hurry up!" Baloo's loud words pressured Mowgli to belief of cowardliness, and Mowgli hatred that feel who would.

Without any space behind for Mowgli to gain some speed before jumping, the man-cub only took a step back and focused his aim on getting to that branch. After a second, Mowgli took off and reached his arms imagining that the branch was either moving towards him, or his arms were getting longer. However, those slow moving images quickly flashed away and dragged Mowgli down to the ground. He landed on his face harshly upon the rough ground, not even the soft grass could heal his sureness. Baloo still sat in his position silently only showing his disappointment stare, till he said, "Again." That what sure Mowgli more.

Mowgli climbed up again to the same branch and jumped again for the lower, further branch but always managed to fail and landed hard to the ground. Baloo keeps repeating himself, "Again! Again! Again!" It was like Mowgli was living in the same, sure, vexing nightmare repeating itself in his sleep again and again every night. Mowgli grew tired and small marks of felling down onto the rough ground. This time, he climbed up to eth branch and thought to himself that this is the last time, even if he gets roared or scarred at for giving up. For the last time, Mowgli put all of his strength into his legs and gripped his fingers into his hands tightly, ready for take-off and stretch out. He jumped out higher and further and reimagined the vision of missing the branch again, until he released he was further than before. He felt his fingers touched the top side of the branch and managed to hold himself from falling back down.

"Baloo!" Mowgli cheered feeling happy to have done something like this.

"You've done it!" Baloo cheered louder and laughed out all the stress and filled into the relief.

Suddenly, the fingers were slowly slipping off the edge of the branch. Mowgli quickly reached his other hand to try to grab the edge, but it was too late. The poor man-cub fell back hard on the ground, then Baloo showed his disappointment look on his rouge face. But Mowgli didn't care as he still held a small smile on his face. Admitting that the wolves are faster than him, but now Mowgli did something new from his own skills and tricks. He felt more special.


	6. Chapter 6: Deep Breathes

Chapter 6

The fine morning was still with silent winds. No tree branches rattling, leaves dancing off till it reached the ground. The man-cub wondered to the misty pools. Not much of sun light shine through the area by the tree shields. The small water fall floating down through the thick, muddy grounds and flat branches. The coldness didn't shiver the sweat and soil off from Mowgli. After a scan around the misty area, Mowgli looks down at the huge pool. Run up in a short distance and splashed into the pool. Ripples charged like a flock of birds swore over in a straight line till it reached the edge of the land. Mowgli rise up to the cloudy blue surface of the pool. Floating upwards watching his view slowly spins around as he gazes up through the tree branches to some small glimpses of the sky's blue sky.

Feeling refreshed from this morning when Baloo ordered him to jump from one tree branch to another. The soils and the sweat was all swept away. Breathing in the cool drips of the small waterfall spraying out its water to evaporate into the thin air. The water continued lifting Mowgli up high just above the surface, giving the man-cub the version of being lifted: up on those white clouds in the blue sky. The small bubbles and movements from the tony fish beneath the surface waved up underneath Mowgli's back. Giggling the man-cub shortly before he sucked in lots of the cool, thin air inside filling up his lungs widely. Quickly dive down and pushed himself down further and closer to the bottom of the cloudy pool. A blurry view under water never bothered Mowgli, he still enjoys swimming in the pools. The rocky floor glittered from the sun's short light to shine brighter and wider through the watery surface. Watching the little fish swimming fast pass and around the man-cub.

Mowgli cornered the fish by the side of the wall, they were calm swimming around the big man-cub. Abruptly, all the fish quickly swam away from a huge, dark shadow appearing over the tip of their heads. Mowgli noticed the shadow and thought it was either Baloo or Bagheera come to see him. But when he looked up and saw a creature above by the edge of the pool. The creature had more round face than Baloo, and its fur was bright than Bagheera's. Mowgli couldn't visually see the creature clearly; it was hard to tell what it was by the knew he has never seen this creature before.

Then, the creature leaned forward only to scoop the fresh water into his hollow mouth by its long tongue. The ripples waved over the surface from the tongue diving in the water, making it harder for Mowgli to see clearly. The man-cub could since small drops of water dripping from the pointy ends of the creatures' sharp, white teeth. Mowgli thought if the creature only came to drink, then let it be. Luckily, the Mowgli looks down and quickly dug his right underneath a trees' big strong enough to hold himself down from float up. Looking up again and waited for the creature to stop his drinking. Until, Mowgli spotted a new form of colour appearing mysteriously from where the creature was drinking. Like a small fog sinking down in front of Mowgli eyes. The toxicant scent dusted to his eyes and through his nose, Mowgli that toxicant scent from yesterday. It was blood. Remembering the blood from the buffalo and the dead flies, after Mowgli felt two warn, yellow eyes staring at him. Mowgli figured it out who the creature was, who killed that cattle, who broke the law of the jungle.

Drifting closer and closer to his mouth like the mist of dark, red blood wants to be sucked in and down into his lungs, breathing in its thick toxic. Mowgli opened his mouth shortly and blow the blood away, stupid to released that he just released some air. Quickly covered his mouth and watched his small bubbles of air floating up fast to the surface. Looking up as the view was high and far, hoping the bubbles will never reach the surface. Just before when the creature was about to scoop the water for the last time, the bubbles popped up.

Mowgli felt the stillness and silence from above, he didn't move his eyes off from eth creature. Noticing the curiosity within the creatures' eyes as they shifted to where the bubbles appeared. The ripples from where the creature was drinking all vanished, Mowgli could the flat surface a bit clearer. The head of the creature slowly turns back and gaze down hard through the cloudy water. Mowgli didn't know how, but he knew that the creature knew the man-cub was underneath the water. That dark seems familiar with the man-cub, what's worse, Mowgli seen familiar with those dark eyes. Soon, Mowgli could vision the head of the creature; it was cat-like similar to Bagheera's, the creature catcher a dark glimpse but it had a brighter tone on its tone. Mowgli to wanted to keep still and stare at the creature so he could recognise what it is. Till he released his lungs sinking, struggling to hold up the air. He must either allow himself to float up to breathe again and revealed himself to the unknown creature, so he tried to push himself down with his hands. If he sticks down wrinkling the inside of his lungs dying out fast, it gets worse when he tried to calm himself because he knew it's not to get better. The creature continued staring down, like he knew the man-cub down there, wanting the poor cub to struggle and die. Just when Mowgli was about to give up, Mowgli caught the creature turning around and walked off. Mowgli couldn't believe how relieved this was, he waited for a few seconds in case the creature wasn't fully gone. But his lungs were screaming for air, so Mowgli shoot up by pushing his feet off from the water roots.

He splashes out of the water, diving up into the thin air. Sucking all of that fresh air down too his stressing lungs. Mowgli swam to the edge of the land coughing out hard and loud. Spitting out the boiling air he has been holding within all this time. The water from his mouth was drilling all over and dripping down to the dry floor. His bended arms laid on the ground as he pushed himself forward out of the cloudy pool. His only view was the dry ground covered with soil and dust covered by drops of water dripping from Mowgli's mouth and his long, black, curling hair. Mowgli focused on breathing calmly, but his mind unexpectedly shifted his focus on something else. Something that is forcing on him, staring behind him.

Without thinking through, crunched his knuckles and toes, stretched and pressed themselves down on the ground. Lifting himself off and began spinning away. Mowgli didn't know why, but when felt those dark stares again on his back he knew he was deep water again. Sprinting back into the jungle, his legs continued running non-stop. His eyes dare not to look back. He needs to see Bagheera, or anyone, Mowgli needed to say what he saw, who he saw. The reborn of his sweat started mixing with the water on his skin. There were loud movements roaring from behind him, but Mowgli still didn't stop sprinting. He stopped for a second to scanned around but the green leaves and bushes mixed with the trucks and branches all blinded his view. The movements were everywhere in his surroundings; Mowgli couldn't tell where is where. He began sprinting again to the most direction. Leaping over trees' tucks and branches, after running into a flock of peacocks bashing pass him.

Ended by the side of a cliff, Mowgli began climbing the rocky cliff thinking the creature may not be able to cliff rocky cliffs. He hands and feet gripped and stood on the smallest edges out of the cliff fast and lift himself higher. Mowgli rushed pass the centre and crawled across the left side to climb on more edges. The rocky cliff was getting a bit narrower, making it easy for Mowgli to climb higher. The man-cub was nearly close underneath the edge of the cliff. However, there no more thick edges to climb was the main problem. If he falls back and dropped back down to the ground, he's dead. Climbed back down and the creature fines him, he's dead. Mowgli was trapped in a high dead-end. Until, by the corner of his tired eyes Mowgli spotted a think, long, branch just reaching out from the top side of the cliff., it was hanging closer to the edge of the cliff. A small, risky chance of escape, Mowgli tried reaching for it. Carefully balanced, for Mowgli could scene the sweat and the water still sliding down his body. From dripping down from the ends of his hair, to sliding down his back and chest, to running down wavily around his legs, and finally to start floating around his feet.

The reduce of the distance pressured the thought of succeeding. Mowgli could nearly just touch by the tip of his fingers. His mind focus on reaching the branch, ignoring the screams from his ears. The centre of his eyes slowly rolled down to look below, until it was too late. A large crippled claw swings out and two of its dreaded laws scarred quit deep by the side of the man-cub wet foot. The scarring stopped by the end of the talus bone. Mowgli tried to jump high with confidence but the shook and the scar scream pain within his veins. Losing his balance and focus, his fingers couldn't reach high enough for the branches. Instead, his entire body trembling down rolling over and over. His view was a spinning circle, while the pointy edges of the cliff marked sharply on his body. His only sound was the bashing down but a tempted roar didn't belong to him.

Before falling off of the narrow edge, Mowgli caught a short glimpse of the creature. His meet with it's dark, yellow eyes. His face was a wreck art of rage and hatred. The colours raced to his mind of orange and black and Mowgli knew exactly what it was. He has never see one before, but he knows what a tiger is. Mowgli was falling far fast away from his view of the blue sky as it was getting wider. The speed of his falling was fast but he felt it much slower like it was ever-lasting and so calm. Till the calm feeling was sprinted away when the tree branches sharply marked on his back and behind his legs as he crashed through the covered surface of the green trees. Mowgli swing his arms around so his hands could be able to grabbed something. Luckily he gripped tightly on a vein, unfortunately that only swings him down and plunge him through a hidden, large hole in the ground.

Mowgli's cries broke the silence as it echoed loud and far. Down by a large, quiet, yellow field and small water pools, where the black buffalos stand and eat. And, laying low and crawling closer the buffalo herd. Bagheera lowed himself down and silent eyeing at his target prey. Testing his claws to slice out form his paws before lifting. Until, a certain cry lifted the buffalo's fears to run off through the yellow field. A look of disapprove grew on the panther's face of that cry that scared his prey away. But his mind slowly started to think of that similar cry as he heard that call before. Bagheera recognise the cries was from the man-cub, within a second he began sprinting towards eth direction where Mowgli screamed.

Breathing heavy as dust and soil flew in and Out of his mouth. Mowgli slowly open his eyes and his first view was a big, straight, wooden thing with blackness in the background. He tried to turn himself over but the bones and the muscles in his back cried out loud in pain. Mowgli still tried to turn over so he could lay on his back and see where he was. His eyes were half clouded with dust and soil from the ground and fallen leaves and branches. Fallen down into a huge mouth covered with big, long wooden teeth sharply pointing up towards the wide hole. All the wooden teeth covered Mowgli like thick trees all standing so close to each other. Mowgli remembered falling down to the rouge ground, but it disappeared right beneath him. He fell deeper with the crust, it felt warmer and darker like he was falling to the stomach of the Earth. Mowgli scanned the wide mouth noticing long branches and leaves hanging over the edge, and most of them underneath him.

The cold silence was suddenly broken by a single bang. Then another bang, then another. In a loud rhythm of footsteps. The sure man-cub raised himself halfway thinking it was that tiger. On second thoughts, the steps sounded louder and harder that could even shake the ground all at once. Mowgli laid back feeling the cold dead skin of one of the wooden teeth, while keeping his eyes focus through the wide mouth. Waiting for a face to appear, either one of his loved-ones to welcome him a smile, or an enemy to welcome a frighten growl to the man-cub. Instead, something small started slithering down brushing down over the edge. Mowgli shivered in fear first believing it was a snake, possibly a cobra since they are the only snakes he knew. Until the far length of the thing started growing bigger and wider, and Mowgli quickly realised the thing didn't have a face at the front. Slowing standing up while keeping a good balance for his legs, the thing finally reached down and began to slowly wrapped around the man-cubs' waist. Mowgli didn't feel threaten so he raised his arms and allowed the thing to smoothing gripped the man-cub before lifting him. Mowgli

Feeling the fresh air waving down underneath from the top sole of his feet to the bottom tip of his toes. The sun's light glittered brighter to the centre of the man-cub's eyes as he was lifting closer to the bottom edge of the wide hole. Once out of the dark, cold mouth, Mowgli finally gets to see his saver. A huge elephant with grey skin as a light, rain cloud with lots of green mostly covered from the top of its' wide face down to the bottom of its long, thick trunk. Stillness and silence was its' only language and Mowgli joined in as his jaw dropped for the man-cub has never seen an elephant before. Mowgli wanted to ask why save him to the huge creatures' black eyes, but it has not said a single word through its invisible mouth nor through it's trunk.

Yet, Mowgli smile kindly and whispered from his tiredness voice, "Thank you." There was only stillness from the huge elephant, but he sounded through his truck which giggled Mowgli.

A thrashed a speed dashed through the jungle like a flash of white lighting. Mowgli looked behind from the hearing the dashing sound, thinking it was that tiger, but the fast paws sounded lighter. A black panther jumped out through the green jungle. "Mowgli!" the black panther roared. Mowgli recognise the face and the gentle voice, realising it was Bagheera. Their eyes meet and the man-cub noted the surprise widen in the panther's yellow eyes and his jaw dropped when Bagheera spotted the huge elephant right infront of Mowgli. Seconds after, the huge elephant slowly turned around taking step-by-step then it began walking away. Slowly vanishing into the misty green jungle, after it's long trunk softly shifted over Mowgli's shoulder and the side of his face.

Bagheera's eyes rolled down to the wide mouth of the hole. Catching the scent of the man-cub floating all over and through the mouth. Then his yellow eyes began widening with a shock widen spotting a large paw just the soil side of the mouth. They widened more in firing fear he noticed one of the printed paws had a long, thin line across the soil like a bended paw. Bagheera recall only one creature with a paw crimpled as a broken branch. He walked up to the man-cub fast and questioned Mowgli with a shock but calm tone, "What happened?"

"I-I-I was swimming, then…" answered by Mowgli tiredness voice.

"Then what!" Bagheera's asked as it sounded more desperate.

Mowgli began to struggle to find the right words to answered, he quickly hesitated, "Then I was chased by…"

"By what?" a stepped closer but the panther's voice was a bit calmer.

"By a tiger, I think" Mowgli finished.

Those yellow eyes slowly sucked down to gazing at the soil floor, Bagheera's breathing was becoming heavy and one word shivery whispered from his dry mouth, "Khan." Mowgli looked puzzled for he didn't caught what Bagheera whispered. Feel the panther's lungs panicking to breathe like when Mowgli was trapped underneath needed badly to breathe the fresh air. Bagheera flew his head up looking at the man-cub for a second, "Come Little Brother, let's go home."

Spoken like there was nothing left to panic, all the puzzled problems have suddenly vanished out of thin air. Bagheera turned around started walking fast leaving Mowgli's eyes looking confused from Bagheera's different reaction. "Who was that tiger?" Mowgli didn't let go, and never will until he has his answers.

"I will explain later, but now come" Bagheera ordered. The man-cub's questions were ignored but was left with a promise.

With the lift form his feet and bended around the wide mouth, as the man-cub ran up to Bagheera. The panther swerve around a thin tree till he stopped in a straight position. Mowgli reached up, swing his right leg over and sat himself onto Bagheera's back. Then, blasted off through the misty green jungle. Unknowingly, behind the light green leaves and hiding in the cold shadows. another bright yellow eye appeared in through the dark shadows. Shere Khan watched the man-cub's movements and scanned the aging as the tiger could recall those long years waiting to taste the cub's sweet blood. Although, his crimpled paw caught a small amount of blood on the sharp edges of his claws from cutting on the side of Mowgli's ankle. Lifting his paw towards his mouth as his long, wet tongue swept off the red blood and a hitch of soil and dust off from his claws. Tasting the thick, red blood sweetening on his tongue and down his throat. A thirsty grin grew on Shere Khan's face, hungry for more, desperate for more. The delicious man's blood versions the tiger of having the flesh and bones from the cub if he catches him. Taking steps back slowly deeper in the dark shadows as his stomach grew more desiring of the man-cub. Shere Khan never took his yellow eyes off from where he saw the man-cub fully with that elephant. Until, his fiery yellow eyes and eerie grin slowly vanishes in the darkness of the jungle.


	7. Chapter 7: The Truth

Chapter 7

The dark night finally closed in. Tanning the skin of the sky with darkness and sparking stars. The viewing of the jungle was still light and clear to see. Mowgli rode on Bagheera's back as the panther took fast through the jungle like snapping blurry images quickly in his mind. Bagheera lead themselves to a high cliff and carefully clawed on a bendy tree, strongly hanging out on the edge. Bagheera laid down on a strong, thick branch, and Mowgli jumped off and sat next to his friend. They sat close by the edges of the bending tree as they could get a wide view of the whole jungle below. There was nothing but peaceful silence echoing throughout the jungle, nothing to hear nor see. All except, the glowing lights by a small area near the side of the river, the man-village. Mowgli knew exactly what and where it was. However, Mowgli didn't wonder the fact why Bagheera brought the man-cub up to look at this view, especially with a clear sighting of the man-village. His mind was on one thing, one creature that horrify troubled him.

"Who was that?" Mowgli asked Bagheera but he kept his eyes on the glowing lights of the village, "That tiger?"

Waiting Bagheera's for Mowgli knew the panther knew that tiger, firstly huffed tiredly Bagheera finally answered, "His name is Shere Khan."

"He has return from hunting" Bagheera added.

"Hunting what?" Mowgli asked.

"Anything. But mostly cattle" Bagheera answered.

Mowgli's eyes widen in shock as his mind splashed back of the dead cattle he saw after his running practise. Now, he knows it was Shere Khan who killed the cattle, it was the tiger who broke the one of the scared laws. Mowgli could see and smell the toxic blood of the ripe off flesh and blood of the cattle in his mind stinking through his nose and sickening in his mouth.

"You see more man arriving" Bagheera pointed down by the village, Mowgli spotted a few more man walking up to the village. Bagheera explained, "They have come to kill the tiger."

Mowgli slowly laid his back down on Bagheera's smooth, black fur while continued gazing down at the man-village. The tired man-cub asked, "Will they kill him?"

"Um…" Bagheera didn't have the right words to say for it was a hard questioned to answer out of knowledge, "It will be a challenge. Shere Khan is a clear beast, but also dangerous."

Bagheera looked back at his sweet cub unaware for Mowgli that the man-cub is why the tiger is dangerous. His compassion twisted his wisdom to must know what he could do for the life of the man-cub. The panther looks back down and started a new, but similar conversation, "Mowgli, Shere Khan hunts down and kill anything challenging and new."

"If Shere Khan… ever wants to kill you" Bagheera's yellow eyes meet with Mowgli's dark brown eyes, "There's a safe place where he wouldn't go."

"Where is that?" Mowgli narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, you know…" Bagheera slowly looked back down with a calm tone of his voice trying not to make it misleading, "…the man-village."

Mowgli grew a small, cheeky smile as he believed he heard a joke, "Why would I go there?"

Bagheera closed his eyes and taking a deep, calm breathe in, before breaking down the walls. Bagheera answered, "Because you are a man-cub?"

Mowgli first looked confused at the panther, "That is a nickname you call me. Like mother calls me frog and…"

"No, Mowgli…" Bagheera's voice sounded shameful, "…you are a son of man."

After, a shock wave flew through right into the man-cub's body. Shaking his bones in fear as he raised up. The curiosity of himself being different than the other wolf cubs. The way his paws are more flatten and less fearful claws, his furless skin and his rounded teeth. Every second of his life believing he is a wolf but now scanning the way man are like by the way they act and the way they look. His throat was dry like there was no more air to breathe. The wide eyes didn't blink at once to unravel his thought, Mowgli felt deeply somehow, he knew of his difference, yet he couldn't fell to believe. His heart stop, time stop, everything stopped at this moment. Mowgli could see it all now, the truth behind his skin.

"I have seen the way he stares at the village" Bagheera describe perfectly of Mowgli's feelings, "You scan the ways of man. You know you are one of them, little brother."

Mowgli bravely sucked in a lot of air through his nose and proudly replied, "I wish to be a wolf."

"Mowgli…" the man-cub could feel Bagheera's sad, desperation through his soft voice, "Khan will not give you up. He wants your blood, little brother. Believe you to be his right. "It was Shere Khan who killed your mother all those seasons ago, and now he wants to kill you"

Puzzled, Mowgli wide eyes narrowed, "My mother-wolf, Raksha is alive and well, living among the pack."

Bagheera huffed in grief knowing the difficulties for the man-cub to understand, "No. Your true mother. The female creature of mankind."

"What?" his heart was twisted sore. Understanding his entire life in the jungle was a lie. But now, he learns of his true mother he shall never see, or hear, or know in his lifetime.

"No… No… The pack…" Mowgli tried to think of ways to solve the tiger situation, "The pack will protect me."

"Mowgli, if you fail The Running..." Bagheera tried to explain.

"Then I will not fail" Mowgli irrupted, ignoring the facts and the truths about all of this just now. He doesn't wish to hear it anymore, but the panther didn't stop warning.

"You will not be able to join the pack" Bagheera managed to finish.

"I will not fail!" Mowgli faced Bagheera and roared angrily.

"Then promise me this" Bagheera could tell that Mowgli will not take this easy to submit and to sink in, "If you do fail... you will go to the village."

Mowgli looked down in rage, Bagheera voice yelled more seriously, "Look at me, man-cub!" Once Mowgli slowly raised his head and their eyes meet, Bagheera ended, "Promise me, Mowgli. You will go."

The man-cub still stare angrily at Bagheera's yellow eyes. He held a grudge look on his face, not a single movement from his lips to say either he agrees or not. His shock and angry plunged amounts of coconut weight over his head and shoulders. His tiredness was making his stress in mind worst. He took a grip on a vein and swing himself down from the top of the tree to the closest floor edge of the cliff. Bagheera didn't bothered stopping Mowgli from leaving, knowing the man-cub needs to time to himself. He watches the man-cub swinging down until he reached the ground and began slowly running on his two legs towards the wolves' den. The black panther huffed in deep sorrow knowing how hard it is to explain to the man-cub and how his response. Bagheera stayed up in the tree branches gazing up to the children of sparkly stars, as the panther prayed for a miracle.

Mowgli couldn't stop running, his heart wouldn't let his legs stop. Believing if he could keep running, then he would running away from everything that has happened. The tiger, the truth, everything. But, they all fast and attached to his mind, they never let go. Haunting him till he reached to the den. His legs finally slowed down, Mowgli slowed down and walked on the rocky grounds. Every step he takes by his two legs, a sharp pin of shame sewing through his rushing bloody veins. Knowing wolves run on all four legs, his heart crumbled with pain of his disbelief of being a wolf. Mowgli finally reached to his home den, noting his wolf family; his Grey Brother, his three younger wolf brothers, his mother-wolf and father-wolf. All of them were sleeping still and peacefully, while Mowgli carefully slip inside through the wide, narrow hole. Instead of hugging in close with his wolf brothers to sleep by each other, Mowgli lay quit far away from them with his head facing outside into the still, nightlight shiny through the jungle. His stressful eyes grew tired and slowly shut themselves closed. However, his mind was still awake and haunted by the thoughts of Bagheera's words, the thoughts of his wolf-family unrelated by blood. But, mostly the visions of the bloodthirsty tiger, Shere Khan, for the man-cub didn't know of the lies and secrets. Yet, realising the tiger knows the man-cub know than Mowgli knows himself.


	8. Chapter 8: Stuck with the Lies

**Hey everyone! So, so, sorry for being late! Been busy and I'm happy to say that here is the new chapter!**

Chapter 8

The morning arrived so fast. Mowgli feel the warm light shiny through the entrance of his home cave. He was the first one in the family to be woken up by the bright light. After a looked back at his family, Mowgli crawled out of the home cave. His crumpled fingers and toes leaned down on the warm, rocky floors. The sun's light glittered brightly in his brown eyes and the warmth burning his messy, black hair. His lesson with Baloo was meant an hour later, but Mowgli couldn't sleep since last night. Bagheera's words ached Mowgli's heart all night, the truth cracked everything he thought was real. Mowgli gazed at his hands and slowly waved his fingers. Seeing at how different he was from the other wolves, no fur, no claws, no fangs. Mowgli climbed up a tree till he could no longer climb any higher, and he could get a good view of the jungle. He looked down at his home, the wolves' home caves with the green jungle surrounding it.

An hour later, Mowgli join Baloo where they usually meet for their lessons. Baloo was all active, however Mowgli sat still and couldn't be bothered to listen to Baloo. All Mowgli could think of was last night and the truth that he should known.

"Right, we will get to your training for the trail later. But now, there is another law you must learn" Baloo started as he was walking from side to side, unaware of Mowgli not listening.

"Every territory you encounter in the jungle, there you will meet the creature who own those territories" Baloo explained, "And so, you must use the master words."

Baloo's big eyes soon spotted Mowgli was gazing ahead into the jungle with a blank mind. The man-cub didn't focused on listening to single word from Baloo's mouth. "These words will protect you from any kind of harm... Pay Attention!" Baloo roared angrily as he slammed his large paw hard at Mowgli's side. The man-cub moaned in pain and shook his head to bring it out form the clouds.

"Sorry Baloo" Mowgli whined in soreness.

"Now, repeat these master words; We are of one blood, you and I" Baloo ordered, however he noticed again Mowgli was drifting off from reality, Baloo roared again but louder, "Mowgli!"

"Sorry, sorry..." Mowgli woke back to reality, he heard Baloo speaking however he already the words, "We are of one brother..."

"Blood!" Baloo corrected with his thundery voice.

Mowgli started again, "We are of one blood... I and you...?"

"No!" Baloo growled in disappointment.

"Sorry Baloo" Mowgli apologised, but truthfully Mowgli didn't really mean it, "What is the point for this?"

"The point is those words could save you reckless life if you are careful" Baloo answered.

"How could they save my life?" Mowgli argued, which insulted his trust in Baloo's teachings that leads to Baloo's disgust in the man-cub.

"They will save you if you use them wisely" Baloo answered, "All the creatures of the jungle follow the law, so they must obey you."

"So, a tiger must?" Mowgli questioned quickly.

However, Baloo only response to Mowgli's question was his silence. Mowgli could see the bear's eyes through his toughness that Baloo knew the truth. The tiger, Shere Khan, that's the only thing Baloo could think of, and he knew Mowgli thinking the same thing. Mowgli rolled his eyes back into gazing into the empty jungle. Baloo could read the careless on the man-cub's face, for Mowgli didn't care if Baloo would roar or beat his paws at him for insulting his teachings. The man-cub didn't bothered what kind of punishment he gets, because all he thinks now is that everything seem worthless.

Unexpectedly, Baloo walked up in front of the man-cub but Mowgli didn't looked up at the bear. Baloo asked in a calm tone, "You know?"

Mowgli nodded, "Bagheera told me last night."

"What do you think?" Baloo asked.

Mowgli paused before answering, "I think I am just a lie. That I am living in a lie. And, you all joined along."

Baloo sensed Mowgli's deep anger in his voice, and Baloo won't blame him. Usually Bagheera would give soft advice to Mowgli, however Baloo straighten his position and growled his deep voice underneath his breathe. He stared down at Mowgli and ordered, "Look at me."

Mowgli slowly raised his head to stare up at the bear, and Baloo started, "You are a man-cub. And, that is no lie."

Mowgli quickly looked down in hatred from thinking about the lies he has been living in, till Baloo's voice raised louder, "Look at me when I am talking to you!"

The man-cub did as he was told, and Baloo started again, "Do you know why the pack have these trails?"

Mowgli shook his head as his answer, waiting for Baloo to continued, "Because every wolf counts. When you fighting a pack, it is not many there is, it is the strength form each wolf."

Baloo's voice grew louder yet encouraging, "You need to show your strength, your respect. Show that you are one of them!"

His words sounded tough and hard, yet it felt hopeful and encouraging. The aching thoughts about the lies in Mowgli's mind slowly faded away. Bravely looking up at Baloo and nodded. Then Baloo got Mowgli back into repeating the master words over and over till the great sun was at it's very height. Afterwards, Baloo wanted the man-cub to practiced climbing and swinging on eth tree branches again. Fortunately, Mowgli was improving and he was enjoying the training. Jumping off form one branch to another as he challenged himself to go fatser and higher. It was like a bird fly off from a branch, could feel the thrilling air rushing through his black hair, leaving a blissful grin on the man-cub's face. As his thoughts on last night were quickly put a side. Training finished faster than it usual does, because Mowgli would go off to find his wolf brothers. However, when Baloo ended the lesson, Mowgli's thoughts began screaming back to him. Baloo suggested that he needs some rest for tomorrow trails, but Mowgli didn't want to rest, he wanted to keep going.

The evening was calm with the orange shining over the jungle, Mowgli didn't really want to talk to anyone. Because, then they will just keep positively encouraged him to focus on the tomorrow trails. Mowgli walked back slowly through the jungle, caught a rabbit and ate it's raw, but tasty flesh. After, sitting back at the highest height of a tree and watch the orange day goes by. Hearing the birds singing their small songs while gliding above him. Watching the great sun as it was setting half-way upon the green jungle. The dark orange light warmly touched on his skin, and it remined Mowgli of the hot fear he felt when he first encountered the tiger. Mowgli couldn't if he had he been that scared in his entire life. Of course, he been through lots of dangerous situations before, but the tiger was a new level of danger. Mowgli could feel the hatred and the rage from Shere Khan's yellow eyes as they burn through his. The desperation the tiger breathe though his mouth for he wanted to slammed his sharp, white teeth into Mowgli's flesh.

Soon, the great sun was nearly fallen, and the darkness began painting over the orange sky. Mowgli continued watching the fall until his ears caught a snapped sound from below. He swings his head down and noticed a scruffy creature skipping through the jungle. Mowgli narrowed his eyes for he has never seen that kind of animal before, it was smaller than a wolf and much messier. Mowgli carefully crawled down the tree and followed the creature by gently walking from one brunch to another. His brown eyes never left the creature and Mowgli could hear noisy flies following along by the animals' side.

However, what Mowgli didn't realised that he was directing towards the man-village, Mowgli slowly stopped but then he lost his sight of the animal. Till something else caught his attention, there were voices echoing from ahead, voices that sounded so familiar, voices that sounded like him. As usual curiosity got the better of him, as Mowgli climbed himself down by a vein and landed safety on the ground. Thankfully, the evening was getting darker so Mowgli could easy hide away in the shadows in case anyone sees him. Mowgli tiptoe closer and closer to the voices while he stopped something glowing in the dark up ahead. The sly man-cub slipped through the bushes and hide himself behind a large rock. His eyes peeped over and some strangle-like rock that was shaped like a man, with a necklace of yellow flowers around it's neck and there were those glowing things bright as the sun. His eyes passed the strange rock and noticed man, a group of them, then there was another man with a long stick hanging form his back as he greeted himself into the group. However, this man was different from the others because his skin was lighter and was dressed differently. Mowgli thought that he must be an albino man.

Suddenly, Mowgli could hear small footprints walking towards his direction. He lowed his head down further to hide himself form the unexpected creature, yet trying to keep his view above to see who it is. Walked clearly on the path by the glowing things, there another man but smaller, with long black hair down to its' back and wear longer clothing around it. Strange for all man looked the same yet this one looked very different, as gentleness was gracefully shaped on its' face. Like seeing the difference between a male and female wolf, Mowgli wondered if this could a female version of a man. The female creature looked very to Mowgli; same height, same body, same hair. The small creature walked up to the wield rock and placed another necklace of pink flower around the strange rock's neck. She bowed her head with her hands together whispering quietly form her small mouth, before the creature wondered off back to the pack of man.

A small smile grew on Mowgli's face as he was discovered something new and extraordinary. The smile quickly faded away as the messy animal he saw before, found it sneaking through the pushes up ahead of him. Thanks to the clearness from the glowing things Mowgli scanned the creature and recognised it as a jackal. Mowgli's gaze followed the jackal as it ran up to the strange rock and began sniffing around it searching for. Unaware one of the glowing thing glittered one of it's red flames and caught itself at the end of the jackals' tale. Mowgli's brown eyes widen in shook from the small surprise attack and how painful it must be from hearing the jackals' cry in torture. The jackal jumped around in circles trying to bite the bright beast off from its' tale, the jackal rushed through the bushes and fell into a shallow river. However, the cries stopped as the bright beast melted into the water. Mowgli crawled down to see where the glowing thing went but the man-cub was instead spotted by the jackal. Expected for the jackal to jumped into action and fight, it stay still in the river and only snarled at the man-cub.

"Did you smell the blood man-cub?" the jackal asked with a dark tone of laughter.

Mowgli paused in patience waiting to see if the jackal was preparing for a leap of attack, but the man-cub slowly crawled closer step-by-step. He questioned, "Who are you?"

"Born from the gidur-log, Tabaqui the jackal that feast on forgotten flesh and bones" the jackal answered.

 **(Gidur-log means the jackal people; quoted by Rudyard Kipling)**

Mowgli looked down at Tabaqui's tale and his eyes couldn't see the glowing thing. He stopped and stood with his bended legs and straight arms on the floor. Mowgli questioned, "What was that? That creature who attacked your tail?"

"It was the Red Flower. Hotter than the sun. Quicker than a panther. Stronger than a bear. Can be small as a mouse, but when it eats all it could touch the Red Flower can grew as large as an elephant" Tabaqui explained.

"Your greedy kind controlled it to take and destroy anything in the jungle" Tabaqui commented.

Mowgli narrowed his eyes and replied back in a low tone, "They are not my kind."

The jackal began laughing to itself, which blooms a darker feeling that twisted Mowgli stomach. Tabaqui looked up at the man-cub and revealed a sinister grin, "You know, I breamed of being a tiger. But, I always wake a jackal."

Mowgli's heart stopped, figuring out that Tabaqui could work along side with Shere Khan. Mowgli eyed at the jackal with a death stare before turning around and walked back into the jungle. However, Tabaquis' continuous dark laughter still echoed inside Mowgli's mind, felt like he was sickening with the jungles' madness. Soon, Mowgli gladly reached by to his home cave but he stopped by the entrance. Stopped by what the jackal laughed at the end, something from that struck deeply into Mowgli's heart. The man-cub turned around and walked up to the rocky edge and sat down with his legs hanging over freely. His mind couldn't stopped but kept on repeating those haunting words. Wondering if this life he had lived through was just a dream, a lie, an illusion, and now facing the truth was the whole wake-up and be done with it.

"You should try and get some sleep" a gentle voice appeared behind Mowgli, his mother Raksha walked up and sat just behind of her man-cub. She advised, "You will the rest for tomorrow."

However, Mowgli didn't turned around and looked up at his mother wolf, he kept his sorrow stare at the jungle. Raksha caught the smell of depression and asked, "What is troubling you, my son?"

"Am I your son?" Mowgli replied back, sending a shock wave to his wolf mother, he added to make sense of his question, "Where did you first find me?"

Raksha understood now that Mowgli knew the truth. She signed silently before she answered in a low tone, "In the middle of the jungle."

"All I've ever wanted... my whole life... is to be a wolf" Mowgli breathed, "For the others to see me as an... equal."

Mowgli's knuckles were squeezed tightly in the palm of his hands, trying to hide his anger and sadness, "Everything I know, everything I was, is a lie."

"No!" Raksha lowed her head to level with Mowgli and quoted, "You are one of us, one of my sons."

Mowgli finally looked up at his wolf mother and wondered, "Why did you accepted me?"

Raksha showed a small smile first then answered, "Because the jungle did."

Mother Wolf saw the confusion written in the man-cubs' eyes and explained, "If the jungle wanted you dead, then you should be dead. But, I found you and saw nothing but innocence, and that is why you are here."

The reason calmed the panicking nerves in Mowgli's fast veins, as he slowly leaned in and rested his head on the chest of his wolf mother. Raksha laid her head softly upon of her man-cub and whispered, "You belong, Mowgli. No tiger or other creature will make you think otherwise. You will always be my son, Mowgli."

Mowgli closed his eyes praying a 'thank you' to his dear wolf mother, for never giving up hope on him. He even thanked the jungle for the same reason. Raksha did the same thing but her brown eyes looked up at the presence of the jungle and the sparkly sky above them. Her wishes only depend on the trails on tomorrow, and even though Raksha believed in her son, she couldn't deny the dark fates that has his heart tighten for what may be revealed.


End file.
